Best known for his expedition to discover the North-West Passage, Franklin led an action-packed life. As a young seaman he was shipwrecked whilst on a voyage surveying the seas around Australia. His ship the Porpoise and another vessel, the Cato, struck a coral reef.

The crew of both ships were stranded on the reef where they lived on provisions taken from the stricken ships, until they were rescued several weeks later. Original artwork. zSea/Maritime zHistorical zMilitary